The path to reaching some sort of deal to provide another dose of fiscal support is unclear, even as millions of Americans remain out of work and some businesses continue to struggle. Senate Republicans began circulating the text of a narrow coronavirus relief package on Tuesday, but it is unlikely that Democrats will sign on. Economists increasingly expect America’s millions of unemployed people to go without the $600-per-week supplement they had been receiving for at least all of August. Minority workers and those with less education have been more likely to lose jobs, and Fed officials seemed concerned with how they will fare going forward. “Participants noted that the fiscal support initiated in the spring through the CARES Act had been very important in granting some financial relief to millions of families.”

Source: New York Times August 19, 2020 18:39 UTC